The Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebels signed a declaration of principles agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, July 19, after three months of negotiations mediated by the Gulf country. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 says Kinshasa continues military offensives despite Doha peace efforts The agreement is the result of five rounds of the first-ever direct talks between the two parties since the M23 rebellion resurfaced in 2021. M23 is now part of a larger rebel coalition, Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), created in December 2023. Led by Corneille Nangaa, the former chairman of the DR Congo national electoral commission (CENI), AFC is fighting for governance that supports basic human rights, secures all Congolese citizens, and addresses the root causes of conflict. ALSO READ: AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa states reasons why his movement is fighting Tshisekedi govt The rebellion has vowed to uproot tribalism, nepotism, corruption, and genocide ideology, among other vices, widespread in DR Congo. Since early 2025, the rebels have taken control of swathes of territory in eastern DR Congo, including the two largest cities, Goma and Bukavu. In April, the Congolese government and the rebels agreed to an immediate cessation of hostilities after their negotiators met in Qatar – in the first direct peace talks in more than three years – but hostilities did not fully stop. ALSO READ: Peace in DR Congo will only come when Kinshasa addresses FDLR threat – former US Assistant Secretary of State The full details of Saturday’s declaration of principles are yet to be made public. But officials on both sides communicated about its content on social media. Facilitate voluntary return of refugees The parties agreed that “only the peaceful path [will lead to] a solution to the crisis,” Benjamin Mbonimpa, the AFC/M23 permanent secretary and head of the delegation at the Doha talks, posted on X. #RDC #Déclaration de Principes signée à DOHA ce 19 juillet 2025 se résume en ces points :Les parties coviennent: 1. Seule la voie pacifique pour trouver la solution à la crise, 2. Un cessez le feu bilatéral signé avec mise en place de mécanisme pr fixer modalités pratiques.1/2 — Benjamin Mbonimpa (@BenMbonimpa) July 19, 2025 They agreed, he said, on the need for a bilateral ceasefire signed with the establishment of a mechanism to determine practical modalities, and also agreed on the release of prisoners and to “facilitate the voluntary return in complete safety of internally displaced persons and refugees to their places of origin.” “This matter and all the root causes will be addressed in the second phase of dialogue.” DR Congo’s Minister of Communication and Government Spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said that the Doha declaration aligns with the peace agreement signed by Rwanda and DR Congo in Washington DC on June 27. #RDC : La Déclaration de Principes qui vient d’être signée à Doha avec l’AFC/M23 sous la facilitation du Qatar, se fonde sur le respect strict de la Constitution de la RDC, les Charte des Nations Unies et de l’Union africaine, le droit international et les résolutions du Conseil... pic.twitter.com/iiwm4j8Qcv — Patrick Muyaya (@PatrickMuyaya) July 19, 2025 Although Muyaya said the Doha declaration “takes into account... the non-negotiable withdrawal of the AFC/M23 from occupied territories,” the rebels did not confirm this assertion. ALSO READ: Cabinet ratifies Rwanda-DR Congo peace agreement Much could now depend on what really happens, on the ground in eastern DR Congo after the rebels, on July 17, warned that Kinshasa continued its military offensives. The rebels reiterated their “determination to protect civilian populations and eliminate any threat at its source.” Two days earlier, the rebel movement had accused Congolese government forces of killing four of its compatriots in what it described as a demonstration of “warlike intentions,” despite ongoing peace efforts. The Doha talks are supposed to complement a June 27 peace agreement signed between the governments of Rwanda and DR Congo in Washington. The rebels also earlier cited several violations, including the bombing of a humanitarian aid plane in South Kivu, which was delivering food and medical supplies to civilians shortly after the signing of the Washington peace deal. The rebels blamed the “barbaric” attack on a coalition of Congolese government forces and allied militias, including the Burundian army (FNDB), the Rwandan genocidal militia, FDLR, and the Congolese Wazalendo militia. FDLR is a DR Congo-backed terrorist militia founded by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. While reaffirming its commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern DR Congo, AFC/M23 accused the Congolese government of obstructing the Doha talks by failing to implement confidence-building measures. The rebels have been waiting for Kinshasa to fulfill trust-building measures, which are essential to facilitate meaningful dialogue.
